


Dance

by Luciferous_Lampadomancy



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Anders and Fenris are on the run together, Cute babies deserve so much love, Dancing, Fenris tries to teach Anders to Dance, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-DAII, Post-Dragon Age II, justice critical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 03:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10296386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luciferous_Lampadomancy/pseuds/Luciferous_Lampadomancy
Summary: Fenris unwillingly listened to Hawke and promised to take Anders to the Avaar to separate him and Justice. After three months he sees more of himself in Anders than he ever thought possible, and gives Anders something he's always wanted.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goodnight_dog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnight_dog/gifts).



> I love my precious Fenders okay? Bioware treated them like absolute enemies when there could've been so much more and I will forever be salty. But I will happily fix what Bioware ruined, and let my children explore the relationship that could've been.

It must’ve been close to three months now, three months since the chantry. Three months since Fenris was tasked with watching over the apostate that caused mass destruction and the circles everywhere to fall into chaos, three months of constant war between Templar and mage, three months and more people dead or abominations that Fenris wanted to even think about.

But, it was also three months stuck with Anders, no one else for company. Three months of leaning about the mage and who he was without Hawke around-or anyone for that matter. Three months to learn just how broken this man was. Of course it was his own fault for choosing to harbor a Spirit, but the more he listened to Anders cry out at night, listened to him scream and clutch at his head, listen to the silence that filled the days the mage just looked purely haunted as they traveled, listened to Anders talk about Justice and how he just wasn’t the same anymore, Fenris knew the once well meaning spirit turned into Vengeance.

Anders was definitely partly to blame, especially with his actions across the board over the past several years, but even Fenris cannot deny that it wasn’t entirely the mage’s fault. It took awhile, but when he looks over at the man slumped over as he sits on a rock across the campfire, he knows he made the right choice to listen to Hawke. He had to separate the mage from the demon, no matter the cost, because now he saw _himself_ in Anders. He saw the scared, helpless version of himself that didn’t feel like they had any choice but to listen to that controlling voice. Except Anders’ abuser was in his own mind.

As much as he never liked the mage, he wouldn’t let him suffer under Justice the same way he himself did under Danarius.

“Anders.” Fenris murmurs, breaking the silence as he pokes at the fire, “What will you do once you’re free?”

The question takes Anders off-guard, gazing waringly at Fenris across the crackling flames, “What do you mean? I am free.” He mutters back, unsure of where this was going.

“No.” Fenris sighs, shakes his head, and lifts his gaze to meet Anders’, voice still carefully neutral. He wanted his unbiased opinion on this, as he was still unsure what to do with his own freedom, even now. “Free from _him_.”

“Oh…” Anders murmurs, and Fenris watches as he blinks, then looks down into the embers, worrying his lip, “I’m… I’m not sure.” He murmurs eventually, and Fenris has to strain to hear him over the fire.

“Well… while you were in the Circle, was there anything you wanted to do?” He offers after a pregnant pause, “Anything that kept you going? Something to strive for?”

Anders laughs at that, the quiet, half chuckle that Fenris knows all too well has no real humor, “All I wanted was to be able to do what I wanted, to not have anyone breathing down my neck.” He shakes his head, “I still haven’t quite escaped that, but I doubt I ever will now.” He looks up then, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes at Fenris, curious now, “What about you?”

“I… I do not know either.” Fenris breathes, Anders’ words echoing in his mind before he shakes himself free of them, free of Danarius doing the same to him, “Even now, I’m not sure what to do.” He shakes his head and sighs, running a hand through his hair and cursing at how long it’s gotten, “You still haven’t completely answered me though. There must be something you’ve wanted to do.” He offers again, surprising himself with how much he actually _wanted_ to know. He could tell he surprised Anders too, watching the other’s eyes widen, and then his head duck again. He could’ve sworn he saw some color to the mage’s cheeks as well, but he knew better than to believe it.

“I… this will probably sound absolutely naive, but you’re right.” Anders murmurs after several long moments, “I’ve… I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance, ballroom dance.” He sighs and shakes his head, laughing at himself, “It just seemed so elegant, carefree, and… whenever I saw it, they always looked _happy_ while they danced.” Anders is smiling now, picturing the figures dancing through his mind as he hums softly to himself, “I was never allowed to learn, cause of my frequent escape attempts and punishments anyway. I do remember the song, rather soft and pretty.” He hums it a bit louder, eyes closed while he gently sways along with the melody, losing himself in it.

It’s not surprising that he startles when his hand is taken and he’s helped up to his feet. Without a word, Fenris wraps an arm around his waist, eyes down as he tries to figure out how exactly he managed to get himself here, and where he planned to go with it.

“Fenr-”

“Shut up-” Fenris barks quickly, cutting off the other before picking his gaze up and cursing when he feels his own cheeks heat slightly. He just hopes it’s too dark for Anders to tell, “Just hold my shoulder will you?”

“Fenris, what are you-” Anders tries again, only to have Fenris shush him once again.

“It can’t be too hard, can it?” Anders almost convinces himself he misheard, or just imagined Fenris’ whisper, but he knows he couldn’t have, “Saw it so many times…”

“Fenris, are you teaching me how to dance?” Anders murmurs quietly, almost smirking down at the elf, who finally looks up to scowl at him.

“Don’t push your luck mage, just start humming that song again.” Fenris mutters gruffly, making Anders chuckle but oblige, humming softly once again. It takes a moment but Fenris carefully starts moving, feet only really shuffling at first until his voice makes its way out, “So I’m gonna lead, just… try and follow my feet.”

Fenris steps forward as Anders steps back, then to the side, then back again, in a simple form of a waltz, “I’m pretty sure that’s how it goes…” Fenris murmurs quietly, still leading Anders through getting a bit more confident until he yelps suddenly when Anders’ boot collides with his toes, “Fucking hell mage-” he hisses, but cuts himself off, “Look up, not at your feet.” He whispers, starting up again and slowly letting them start to turn, “Trust me.”

Anders couldn’t help but listen, eyes locked on Fenris’. He’s biting his lip, trying his best to focus, but the harder he tries, the more he’s tripping over his own feet, “Stop thinking-” Fenris mutters eventually, and Anders startles, nodding and biting his lip again, “I mean it Anders, relax, stop thinking. Just move.” He whispers again, voice surprisingly soft.

Anders starts to hum a bit louder, finally doing as Fenris said, and letting the elf lead. He doesn’t notice when they get a bit farther from the fire, Fenris leading them around the rocks and the twigs, steadying Anders when he shifts, and correcting himself swiftly when he steps wrong. It didn’t matter that they were probably doing it wrong, it didn’t matter that the whole world was against them in that moment. For the first time, Anders was finally able to forget and simply just _be_ in the world. To not have to think, to not have to worry or care. He was _dancing_ , and it’s as Fenris suddenly dips him, holding him steady and letting him look up at the stars, in that split second, he was **_free._**

Fenris slowly brings him back up, and Anders looks down at him, chest heaving not from exertion, but from pure emotion. He needed to thank Fenris somehow, and looking down at the elf, actually _looking_ at him, he didn’t know if he ever could.

“Fenris…” he whispers, swallowing down the emotions that threaten to choke him. He’s about to speak again when suddenly he feels lips on his, and he startles, unable to even kiss back in the few moments it lasted.

“You need to learn the value of silence, Anders.” Fenris hums, and if Anders didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn he saw Fenris blushing before the elf slowly stepped away, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Fenris…”


End file.
